Wait till Mika gets you home, Joe!
On today's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough made a surprising suggestion, one that he acknowledged would be "extraordinarily unpopular" both with his viewing audience, and in his own "household." Scarborough urged congressional leaders to strip from the coronavirus bailout bill the provision prohibiting President Trump's companies from receiving relief.
Fairness was just an afterthought for Scarborough. His driving concern was that if President Trump's companies cannot receive relief, he would, according to Joe, be encouraged to make "rash" decisions to re-open the economy. In contrast, reasoned Joe, if the president's companies do qualify for the bailout, the "only incentive in his mind will be making Americans safe and healthy."
Note: Scarborough proposed that companies owned by members of Congress be similarly eligible for relief.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
3/25/20
7:21 am EDTJOE SCARBOROUGH: I'm going to say something that is going to be extraordinarily unpopular, not only for people who are watching, but also in my own household. I think if the Senate hasn't completed writing this bill, I think it is extraordinarily important for the health of this nation, and I just got a note, I've been worried about this all night, and I just got a note from an ambassador who has the same concerns.
It's extraordinarily important that Donald Trump's own companies are not exempted from this bill, from this relief. Because by exempting Donald Trump's companies, you give him the worst incentives to reopen this government -- or to reopen this country quickly. Donald Trump, as I said earlier, he makes decisions based on his bottom line. It's always been that way. By exempting Donald Trump and his businesses from getting relief, what you are doing is, you're actually encouraging him to make rash decisions that are going to hurt America. And since we have a five-person panel to make sure that this isn't a slush fund, don't you think the wisest move, the most prudent move, and, yes, I will say this, the fairest move that the Senate can make is to let Donald Trump and his companies get the same relief that every other business in their position will be getting?
. . .
I understand the instincts of putting this provision in. But for the public health of this country, and so the president's only incentive in his mind will be making Americans safe and healthy, you need to strip that provision out.
